Now that the Texas Longhorns have had a tremendous season in 2023, the focus of Texas supporters is shifting to the NFL Draft. With at least seven players expected to be selected, the Longhorns may have one of their strongest draft groups in ten years. The Longhorns’ presence at the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama over the past week may have only served to elevate their stature. Longhorns are dotted throughout Mel Kiper’s new 2024 NFL Draft rankings, which were released on Friday. This is not surprise to any Texas fans.
Texas’ all-around linebacker Jaylan Ford is ranked as the No. 5 off-ball linebacker to start the defense. He had more than 100 total tackles in the previous season, which was his second consecutive year of doing so. He also had a few interceptions. He led this Texas defense and was a major factor in their success this previous season.
Kiper has T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, at the defensive tackle position, indicating that he is clearly very high on the two big boys up front for Texas. Given that they both had career seasons in 2023, this pair may have been the best run-stopping tandem in the nation. Sweat recorded a career-high 45 total tackles, five passes defended, two sacks, and an offensive receiving score. Sweat went on to win the Outland Trophy. Comparing himself to him, some believe he should have been selected in the first round, he recorded a career-high five sacks and 29 tackles.
Despite missing the last four games of the season due to an ACL injury, Jonathan Brooks is rated as the best running back offensively. Before collapsing, he still managed to rush for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns at a rate of 6.1 yards per carry. Ja’Tavion Sanders, a tight end, is another Texas offensive player that is ranked in the top two in his position. Sanders has demonstrated that he has great potential, even though his numbers were lower this past season. The only player ranked higher than him is Brock Bowers of Georgia.
The absence of Texas’ two wide receivers, Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy, from the Senior Bowl may have harmed them both. In what seems to be a very stacked receivers class, Kiper placed them as the seventh and eighth receivers, respectively. That ultimately depends on how teams view them, as both were selected in the first round for a few mock selections.
